The Discontinued Little Debbie Chocolate Cake That Deserves A Comeback

When you think Little Debbie, a swarm of sweet, crave-worthy, individually-wrapped lunchtime treats come to mind. However, there's one treat that holds a nostalgic (and delicious) place in many hearts that's sadly been discontinued — chocolate Zebra Cakes. While Little Debbie still produces vanilla-flavored Zebra Cakes, the cocoa ones were sent to the graveyard in 2016. Little Debbie's X account said the move was due to insufficient fan support. The chocolate, striped desserts joined other discontinued Little Debbie treats that many fans have probably forgotten about. 

For those who never got to relish in their nostalgic delight, these Little Debbie creations featured a chocolate cake with a creme filling and a thin, cocoa frosting with white stripes. One reason why this discontinuation seems strange is that Little Debbie expanded the line to include other versions of the treat, like Zebra Cake ice cream pints, mini donuts, cake rolls, and even a coffee creamer inspired by Christmas tree cakes (which features similar ingredients — just a different shape and design).

If you're looking for an alternative to chocolate Zebra Cakes, the original version is a tasty place to start. The OG Zebra Cakes are a yellow cake with a fluffy creme interior layer, white icing, and chocolate stripes to mimic the pattern of the eye-catching and illustrious animal. While you can still snag a box of these, you're definitely missing the chocolate factor from the discontinued cakes. The good news — Little Debbie offers plenty of other classics with similar flavor profiles.

For example, Swiss Rolls feature a rolled sponge cake with a creamy filling and chocolate coating. Or, go with the Chocolate Cupcakes for a similar pillowy center and fudgy icing. Devil Cremes feature a richer, dark chocolate cake base, but don't have an icing layer. And since you never know when an item will leave the shelves, consider trying unique treats like these Unicorn Cakes that are "sparkling strawberry flavored." When in doubt, grab the original Zebra Cakes and pair them with a glass of chocolate milk or hot cocoa and coffee-based mocha to make up for the chocolatey notes you're missing.